Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-08-08
I'd EDITION.
--latest 1blGglalnS 10 The Star.
EFFECTS OF THE DROUGHT.
The Northwest Parchcd and Dry-NO
Rain for Ten Weeks and Water
Famine Imminent.


The Northwest Parchcd and Dry-N0
Rain for Ten Weeks and q Water
Famine Imminent.
CHICAGO, August S.-A local paper, summing up
the many reports received by it OF drought prairie
FIRES, ruined crops, &C., says this morning: There
Is an area OF perhaps 1900 square miles In the
Northwest where tile aust lies heavily upon the
eurih. The district is bounded by Madison on the
noto, BoominSton on the south, Lake Men ,ast
II IS within the limits OIL these boundaries that
vegetation has lost its normal strength ana the
earth Its moisture. Day after day the sun SENDS
LIS burning rays upon the parched farms and
nelfis Leaves are falling from the trees the grass
Ia The meadows has grown yellow and white, and
the streams in which the cattle used to Stake thelI
thirst are as dry as powder-horns.
NO RAIN FOR TEN WEEKS.
1t has been nearly ten weeks since soaking
rain fell in this district. The big bull thste-the
pest OF nearly every farm-has at last succumbed
to the fate OF all other vegetation The big weed
Wllteu, then turned black and finally fell upon the
eartn. With not enough moisture In the GROUND
TO Ieed thistle, the condition Of corn ano
the tender grass may be imagined: In
where corn will not Yield peck to the acre: The
crop has been scorched and almost totally dc.
stroyed. The leaves OF the cereal are yellow and
broken and droop almost to the ground The loss
OF the corn crop, serious as it is will not impover
1sh the farmers. They have lived in the country
since the land was first titled and have for the
through winter. But there are other dangers to
be confronted. Wells have run dry, and In some
towns
WATER PAMINEs ARE IMMINENT.
The drinking water at hand is often polluted and
filled with poisonous germs. Typhoid fever is be-
coming more prevalent and dysentery and other
stomach disturbances are so common in some
places as to be almost epidemic. Unless rain falls
before many days the suffering VIII be greatly
augmented. The intense heat has been terrlnc
strain upon many, but
ITS EFFECT UPON CATTLE
has been simply appalling. Without pasture to
browse upon or pools in which to stand during the
hot hours Of the day, the poor beasts have become
so emaciated as to be wholly unmarketable. The
farmers in the dairy districts have, in some
instances, been compelled to iced and
water their cows from their own larder:
In other places forest trees have been lelled and
dragged to the pastures and the cattle turned
loose to browse upon the leaves. Hundreds OF
cows are being killed and shipped to market for q
mere pittance. At WinsIow, ILL.,, one farmer
bought ten head OF cattle last January at $50 per
head. When he offered TO sell the entire herd last
week for 500 he could not find purchaser.
Farmers in this district have already turned their
cattle loose TO feed on the crops. In some places
fences have been run through the cOrnfields and
the starving cattle permitted to feed upon the
the fences are extended, until the entire fields
have been eaten clean. Added to all the m1series
attending the great drought is the
CONSTANT FEAR OF FIRE.
The tall grass Of the prairies is dead, the fields
are ready to burst into flame, and leaves lie in
heaps in the forests. spark starts fire. and the
b.isterlng Sahara-like winds fans the flames into
con1lagratiOn. Already the land encOmpassed
by the boundaries has been backened by wild
fires. In some towns the people are often called
out three or four times day 10 hight the llaneS.
DESTRUCTIVE FIRES HAVE BEEN RAGING.
For many days at kenosha, Racine and Wal
worth Counties in Wisconsin, thousands Of acres
have been swept by the flames and the loss to
farmers in hay, grass, fencing and buildings Is
very great. Above Madison the boys are burning
Hereby and the pungtnt smoke hangs over the
country Tor miles around The Northern Illinois
fires are SO numerous that the farmers have plOWed
tile ground about their buildings in order TO check
the spread OF the flames. Should the drought re-
main unbroken much longer, incaicul la.
which spring up in unexpected places and the
most mysterious manner. In some parts Of The
district the drought is so terrible that butter
melts and wainuts have fallen from the trees
Potatoes when taken from their beds OF ashes,
look like crab-apples. They are wr1nkled and
spongy and unit Tor food. There is also great
scarcity OF milk, owing to the inability or cows TO
hnd nutritious food.